News

Long-term collaboration at Female Factory recognised

16/09/2013

The long-standing collaboration between the Cascades Female Factory Historic Site and Dr Christina Henri’s Roses from the Heart project has been recognised with the Creative Partnerships SME Award, presented recently at Government House in Hobart.

Christina Henri conceived the Roses from the Heart project after visiting the World Heritage-listed Cascades Female Factory, the best-preserved convict women’s prison site in Australia.

The project has invited people to make a cloth bonnet in memory of the life of a convict woman. Over 23,000 bonnets have been sent from around the world, linking the local community to the global community, and supporting convict women’s heritage.

Manager of the Cascades Female Factory Historic Site Ms Greta McDonald said ‘It was very exciting to be an invitee to Government House and we were up against some very strong competition, so it was almost overwhelming when they announced that we won in the category of small to medium enterprise.”

Dr Henri expressed her thanks to Cascades Female Factory Historic Site staff and volunteers, ‘who have become such allies over the years to see this partnership flourish and be the success it is.’

Both Ms McDonald and Dr Henri thanked Robyn Bradshaw, who prepared the submission whilst acting as Interim Manager of the Cascades Female Factory earlier this year.

Creative Partnerships Australia was established this year under Creative Australia, the Australian Government’s national cultural policy, to encourage and facilitate private sector support for the arts. Creative Partnerships will work with the arts, business and philanthropic sectors, as well as government, to support sustainable creative industries in Australia.

The 2013 Awards recognise and celebrate the very best relationships between the private sector – both business and philanthropic – and the arts throughout Australia.

The award categories include partnerships, donations and volunteering, all of which support the creation of cultural activities for the enjoyment of all Australians.

Tasmanian Awards winners will go on to represent Tasmania at the 2013 national Awards Dinner at Parliament House in Canberra on 18 November.

The Cascades Female Factory Historic Site is one of 11 places that comprise the Australian World Heritage Convict Sites property. It is managed by the Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority (PAHSMA).